Its been a while!

Look just how long it has been since I blogged! Life has been super busy, what with SATS at school and my children doing exams and concerts etc etc. But I have been busy and creating. Way back in February a lady at work announced that she was having a baby. I was keen to knit for her and she said what she would really like is a large, white shawl. I remember my Aunt knitting me a beautiful lace one for my first child and then when I announced I was expecting twins, she knitted me a second one! They are much used and treasured and the most useful of items so I asked her for the pattern and decided this was THE ONE! Well many a time I wondered just what was I doing, attempting such a pattern! It was lacy and huge and in 4 ply but I soldiered on and finally, finally I have finished it! Just as well because there was a surprise lunch for her today and it is the last day to see her!

This is the pattern of the centre....about 5ft square.

And the lace edging; miles and miles and miles of it!

A rather nicely eased corner (if I may say so)

And the final thing; that's on my king size bed for scale! I can't deny that I am relieved it's finished. There are several mistakes that I just couldn't rectify but hey, it's handmade. She was delighted with it....now I just hope she will use it or my labours will have been in vain!

More "stuff"...

So what to show you first? It would appear from the lack of post on my blog that I have been doing nothing. But let me assure you, nothing could be further from the truth! I have finally finished a tunic style jumper I was knitting for myself. In this picture it looks a rather dingy colour but it is in fact, a rather lovely meadow green. It fits well but I think if I did it again, I would make it a bit longer.

I rather like this moss stitch detail on the shoulder...

I have also finally finished the Pansy Quilt! It's not perfect; I would have liked a 2" border of green around the edge before the binding but hey-ho, it is what it is!

I finished joining it all together and then cut out the wadding and backing before I set to quilting it. I was the home contact for a Scout hike event last weekend, so I had to stay at home all weekend, providing the perfect opportunity to crack on!

I couldn't really decide the best way to quilt those wonky squares so after stitching in the ditch for the straights I just went around them.

I had ordered my backing over the internet; I was going to have purple but they didn't have that so I thought green. But then I panicked that it might not match enough so I went for a total contrast of pink! I love the pink and green together!

Finally I used the leftover bits of pansy fabric to make the binding; the first time I have done a scrappy binding and I quite like it! So two more finished projects. The other knitting one is still creeping along......

Am I late......or early?

So this week I have something knitted to show you....

Yes ok...it IS a Christmas jumper. I started it in December. But it is knitted in 4-ply so took aaaaages and grew really slowly! It is a pattern from Ravelry and is based on a 1940s style. Jess (eldest daughter) is really ino all things 1940s so it was her choice. I even managed to find some vintage buttons from my stash; although I think they are more 60s than 40s!

She is away at Uni so I posted it to her. Apparently it fits beautifully. Another UFO bites the dust.

Penny the Elephant!

Had a bit of time to create over half term. As a break from larger projects I thought I would knit this little elephant!

I just love the trunk!

Katy has nabbed her to go in her bedroom.

She was a free pattern that I found on Ravelry so you could join up and knit one too!

Knitted Cowl

No cards for ages and then two come along at once! It was my friend Alison's birthday last week so I made her a quick card....

..and to go with it a cowl with a flower corsage.

She was chuffed to bits with it and I even saw her wearing it in the snow in some photos she posted on Facebook!!
Dead easy; might make one for myself!

A bit more "scrap" knitting

I've been using up a bit more of my wool scraps. Aran wools this time. The Dogs Trust have a charity called Project Hope. They are calling for knitters to knit (or crochet) dog coats for them to donate to people who are homeless and have to sleep rough with their dogs.

 I have made three so far. The lilac one is too big for my cocker spaniel but too small for my Lab just to give you an idea of size!

  Minnie wasn't too chuffed about wearing it either! Let's hope the recipient dogs are a bit more greatful! If you would like to join in I think there is still time as they don't need them until the end of November. Visit their site for more details and a link to the pattern I used.

I crochet....

OMG! I did it! Remember that hexagon knitted throw and how it needed a crochet edge? Well when my friends Linda and Burnice came over we were too bust sewing to do it so last night I got a book out and had a bash......

...and I did it! Double crochet all round the edge, two rows deep! Obviously this pic only shows one row but it does finish it off. I know it's very basic but I couldn't be more excited....
...even tho' I think I have done it a bit tight and the blanket doesn't quite lay flat! Hey-ho, it's rustic!

Patchwork knitted throw

Hmmm well it looks a bit ropey now, but this is what I have been doing over the last few weeks. It is meant to be knitted in very chunky wool but being a meanie I used 2 strands of double knit together and used up some of my stash of wool. The hexagons are in 4 different designs and for some reason the very bobbly ones just didn't come out very hexagonal! Still they went together ok and I think that has pulled them into shape a bit more.

Now I need to crochet an edge.....LINDA!!!! or HELLY!!!! help please! I think that will help hold the shape too. And I have some more ends to sew in but it took me a whole day to sew together so I was bit bored of ends by the time I had joined all the hexagons! Looks a bit of a funny selection of colours in the photo....tis better in real life, honest!

An extreme cushion!

Gilly is having a stall at a Christmas market in December and asked us all if we would like to make bits to sell too. So I made an extreme knitted cushion. Took me about an hour and is really snuggly!

More big knitting!

Done another one! This time I was using up some lilac and purples and blues that I had. I bought some more purple in different textures, a magenta and also a fluffy black with raggy bits of yellow, blue and magenta. This is it laid out on the floor so you can't really get the size properly but I am guessing it's about 4x5 foot.

This is a close up of the colours. I think the wools I have used this time are thicker beacause it is less open than the red, white and blue one. Eliza has nabbed it now!

How much more extreme?

Look, I haven't been idle.....

I finished the trial throw in red, white and blue with black fluffy wool. It isn't the right colour for this room but it is going here for now!

It is very loose and holey but soooo warm and snuggly. I am not really sure what weight the wools were but I used 8 strands at a time and I am guessing they were mainly DK, although the red was a lumpy cotton and seemed finer.
Well then I found I had lots of purple wool so I went out to pick up a few colours to go with that......




........I got quite a bit actually...........




.......I brought it home in a bin bag! Shhhhh don't tell anyone!

Extreme Knitting....

Here's some of the gang! Several of us managed to go to the "Make It" show in Farnborough. (from l-r,half of me, Helly, Sharon and Gilly) In Brighton I had seen these HUGE wooden knitting needles and pondered about buying some. Gilly did get some and having seen what she could do with them and her stash of wool I decided I HAD to have some too! Karen was really helpful and put up with all our dithering! Her website is just in the process of being set up but still pop and have a look.

I couldn't wait to get going so as soon as I got home I went up in the loft to get out all the wool I have stashed there. I could have sworn it was all orange but I found I had a nice selection of colours.... Just a couple of hours later I had a funky new cushion cover! I used 8 strands at a time, 2 red, 1 each of brown and cream, 3 different oranges and a bumpy wool that was orange, plum and greeny colours.It was so easy to do and very satisfying as I was using up all my odds and ends and feels so snuggly! I am now in the process of knitting a snuggly blanket........

New Year, new stuff!

I am sure that I mentioned that I had been side tracked from my Christmas Journal by knitting. Finally I have finished what I was knitting so here it is! A good friend of mine is unexpectedly expecting a baby at the beginning of June and I asked if she would like me to knit for "it". Now even in this country we don't usually need too many knitted cardigans in June but she did need a blanket. Whilst she was looking at my old patterns I got itchy fingers and found a free knitting pattern on the net for this Apple Tree Blanket.

It was nearly done before Christmas but I didn't quite manage to finish it so I did the last few rows and gave it to her last night. She didn't unwrap it whilst I was there but judging by the text she sent me, I think she liked it!!!
Unfortunately knitting this has reminded me just how much more sociable it is to knit in the lounge with hubby and the children watching TV than it is to sit in my dining room doing papercraft. Maybe my paper crafting activities are going to take a back seat for a while......